Four out of five universities risk ending the year in deficit, according to Snesup-FSU

This situation is the consequence of the reduction in credits allocated by the State.

Four out of five French universities risk ending the year in deficit, franceinfo learned on Thursday, September 19, from the National Union of Higher Education Snesup-FSU. According to the union, 75 universities expect to be in the red by the end of 2024. There were about fifteen in 2022 and about thirty last year.

This situation is the consequence of the reductions in credits allocated by the State. After the 900 million euros of savings requested at the beginning of last year, the Snesup-FSU estimates that the effort will be, in 2025, an additional 500 million, according to the ceiling letters sent to the ministries.

For sites in difficulty, the solution, according to the union, involves implementing austerity plans, such as not replacing retiring teachers or appointing contract workers in their place, or reducing the number of administrative staff. “This creates tension and an increased workload for teaching staff and researchers.”explains Anne Roger, national secretary of Snesup-FSU. She points out the “very serious consequences on working conditions”.

Anne Roger still evokes “cuts on heating, on photocopies, computer equipment that doesn’t work”as well as building renovation projects “which are essential with the ecological transition”, some establishments being “thermal sieves”.

These cuts in funding also have consequences on the study conditions of young people, with overloaded tutorials, courses that are supposed to be conducted in small groups, but which increasingly exceed 35, 40 or even 60 students in some places.